Atco De Luxe B14 mower

[cwhaley]

At the weekend I bought an Atco De Luxe B14 cylinder mower. I grew up with Atcos from the 50s and 60s so I'm familiar with the range and use of them but that's it.

The one I bought has been looked after. It only cost £20 so I wasn't expecting much but it's had a replacement fuel tap, new fuel line and a new spark plug and oil. The bodywork is tired but not rusted, so I plan to strip and re-paint with new decals. Runs smoothly and purrs at idle.

Unfortunately though the cylinder and bottom blades are poor and the cut is not up to scratch. Is back lapping paste the easiest way to sharpen them? I'm aware of adjustments that can be made to the position of the cylinder and bottom blade but I've held off doing anything until I know more.

This was the listing picture:

 

[Burnerman]

Remove the bottom blade and test with a straight edge that it is perfectly flat......if it is then it can be ground professionally or even by yourself if you are capable.
If its really bent then replacement is the best thing, and I imagine a Suffolk blade would fit.
With that back on, adjust the blade so it is just skimmed by the cutting cylinder. If it jams, the cylinder is out of sorts and really needs to be profesionally ground - not really such a big deal as its regularly done. Ideally the blade should slice paper as the clipper glides over it.
These were an excellent mower in their day, but you won't get clutch parts for it.....hopefully you won't need any!
John

 

[cwhaley]

Yes I think many of the parts are Suffolk including the engine. Having turned the cylinder around while inspecting it the blades are very close but never actually skim each other so this could be part of the problem. I'll check as per your suggestion for a proper assessment. Hopefully this is something I can do at home

At the moment the blades 'bend' paper rather than cut so I'm not going to test it on the lawn yet. The sheer weight of it and the roller on the back alone have left lovely stripes though!

As for the clutch parts yes I hope I don't need any either. It's had a new rubber donut (if that's the right word) and so far as I can tell it has been lubricated as per the original spec.

This is the scan of the collection I remember as a kid:

 

[Burnerman]

Generally its just fine to adjust the cylinder blade when it is rotating....there should be a screw either side of the cylinder to allow this. Spray some lube on it too! If your luck is in, the cylinder will gently kiss the bottom blade as it spins.
yes, that is an iron Suffolk engine - the later ones were alloy and not as good. The carburettor is either an updraught Zenith or Dell'orto - Zenith if it has a square air cleaner.
John

 

[cwhaley]

Will update on here then when I know the result of the adjustments! I know the screws you mean -- nice big meaty ones either side of the cylinder.

The carb is a Zenith, although the air filter is a modern replacement in an oblong shape.